


lock and key

by waspfactor



Category: Assassination Classroom
Genre: Ambiguous Relationships, Canonical Child Abuse, Developing Relationship, Fluff, Found Family, Friendship, Gen, Happy Ending, Hehehe, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-12 09:06:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28632975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waspfactor/pseuds/waspfactor
Summary: a few days before high school starts, asano shows up on karma's door
Relationships: Akabane Karma & Asano Gakushuu, Akabane Karma/Asano Gakushuu
Comments: 15
Kudos: 193





	lock and key

**Author's Note:**

> this fic butchers japanese cps so much and by butcher i mean i completely forgot of its existence. but u didnt click on this fic to learn abt the japanese legal system u came for karushuu!!!!
> 
> [government mandated song rec](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOpOa5zedyo)

It was never verbally agreed on, this little situation of theirs. There was never a dedicated conversation for it, instead being sprinkled throughout vague mentions and awkward glances. And hey, maybe it was better that they never _really_ spoke about it because Karma didn’t know what questions he’d want to ask, and Asano likely wouldn’t answer them.

It had always been a subconscious thought for Karma, Asano and his father. Everyone knew of the rumours, of the way Asano would flinch when his father spoke, tired eyes and poorly hidden bruises. It had cultivated in their last year of junior high, where the stakes were high and expectations even higher. Midterms, the sports festival, second semester finals.

The principal had also tried to kill himself at school, with seemingly no qualms about the fallout of such an action. Which is a red flag if Karma’s ever seen one.

So, when Asano had showed up on his door, a few days before high school started, with a suitcase and a sombre look on his face, Karma had wordlessly let him inside.

He hadn’t asked but still Karma offered. “You can take the guest’s bed.” Karma didn’t feel inclined to mention that the guest bedroom was actually his parent’s bedroom.

But Asano was difficult and rough around the edges and so he declined. “I’ll sleep on the couch.”

They never talked about it, this little arrangement, until Karma wakes up from a nap and comes downstairs to Asano crunching numbers. He’s wearing his glasses (Living with Asano has provided many an insight).

“What ya doing?” Karma asks.

Asano doesn’t look up from his work. “Rent.”

Karma frowns. “I’m not charging you rent.”

“I’m not staying here for free,” Gakushuu looks up, glasses sliding down his nose. “That’s pity.”

Karma has learnt just how much the other despised pity. He sighs. “Idiot. I’m not a landlord.”

“Your parents, then.”

“They’re dead.”

Asano inhales sharply. “I-“

“Didn’t know, yeah, it’s okay,” Karma waves off. “Bottom line is that no one is charging you money to stay here.”

Asano’s a stubborn prick, however, and twists Karma’s arm until they agree on a semi-contract, that Asano will cover food expenses. It’s as good a deal as Karma’s going to weasel out of the other.

It’s been 2 months since Gakushuu moved in. The principal has come to visit exactly once, and he had been chased off the property by a knife wielding Karma. Asano’s friends, the Virtuoso’s, caught on about their peculiar living situation (Karma never realised they could be so observational) but they must’ve realised it’s been a long time coming. The teachers at school must know, with the way their addresses as listed as the same residence and Karma might’ve texted some of his friends to let them know he’s currently rooming with someone. Aside from that, no one else knows.

And it’s nice. It’s nice to have a little secret to keep. Even if that secret refuses to make things easier for himself.

On day 67, Asano arches his back, groaning. Karma raises an eyebrow.

“That couch-“

“I’m not sleeping in your parent’s bedroom,” Asano’s far more perceptive than Karma had first assumed. “That’s disrespectful.”

Karma rolls his eyes. “My bed, then.”

Asano’s face flushes red. “What are you-?”

“Not like that, you perv,” Karma teases. “I have a big bed.”

Asano still refuses, still chooses to sleep curled up awkwardly on the dingy couch. By day 78, he caves in, allowing himself to slink into Karma’s bed. He almost screams when his foot brushes something furry at the bottom.

“ _What is that_.” He hisses to Karma.

Karma sits up and digs out the cat, who was soundly asleep at the bottom. “Monster Truck, meet Asano,” He holds Monster Truck’s paw and pretends to wave. “Asano, this is Monster Truck.”

“You have a cat?”

“I’m surprised it took you so long to notice,” Karma lies back down in bed, letting Monster Truck rest on his chest. “Why do you think I open the back door before we go to school?”

Asano shrugs. “I don’t know,” He whispers. “I thought you were superstitious or something.”

Karma can’t help but chuckle at that and the fast rise and fall of his chest causes Monster Truck to wake up and hiss at him. Karma hisses back and Asano kicks him in the shin.

“If we’re sharing a bed, a few rules,” He outlines. “First, no hissing. Second, if you hug me, I’ll break your arm. Third,” He turns to Monster Truck. “You pee in the bed and you will receive a disciplinary hearing.”

“Flattered that you don’t think I pee the bed.”

“Get me out of here.”

On day 112, as they’re cooking dinner together, Asano tells him to call him Gakushuu.

It catches Karma off guard, who has to set down the wooden spoon in his hand. “Karma, then.” He manages out.

Gakushuu narrows his eyes. “That’s not your real name, is it.”

Karma shrugs. “It’s my name. That’s all that matters.”

Gakushuu blinks. “It suits you.”

“Thanks.”

Day 150.

“When’s your birthday?”

“You wouldn’t believe me.”

“Try me.”

Gakushuu tells him and Karma feels a chill run up his spine. Maybe he is superstitious.

“That’s weird,” He comments. “There’s only a week between us.”

“You’re the 8th?”

Karma snorts softly. “Oh, you’d like that, wouldn’t you, _January baby,_ ” He grins. “I’m the _real_ gift on Christmas.”

Gakushuu rolls his eyes. “I’ll ask Santa to take you back.”

The day Gakuhou Asano gets sentenced, nearly 200 days into their living arrangement, is a bad day. They both take the day off school, spending most of it sitting in front of the television. Gakushuu doesn’t speak much and when night falls, he sleeps on the couch again.

Karma doesn’t know what he should do. He’s never been good at this kinda thing and this is no exception. He swallows the lump in his throat tiptoes downstairs and decides to sleep on the floor next to the couch.

The next morning, Gakushuu finally speaks again.

“It’s not long enough,” He mutters. “He’ll be out before we know it.”

Karma looks down at his cereal, stirring aimlessly. “I’m sorry.” He says, even though they both know it’s not their fault.

“Me too.”

It takes a lot of coaxing and a lot of patient, tentative conversations but by day 238, Gakushuu agrees to come back up to sleep in Karma’s bed.

On day 239, Gakushuu cries late into the night. It’s winter now and the only light source visible from Karma’s bedroom window is the ever-crescent moon. Karma decides that the rules Gakushuu set all those weeks ago are now void and gives Gakushuu a hug.

He cries harder and Karma wonders when he last got a hug.

Day 274 is Christmas and subsequently, Karma’s birthday. Karma’s used to spending the day in an empty silence.

Gakushuu has other plans. He shakes Karma awake. “Wake up.”

Karma peels open an eye. It’s far too early for this. “I don’t celebrate my birthday. Let me sleep.” He grumbles, voice thick with sleep.

“Don’t care,” Gakushuu clambers over Karma to get out of bed. “Plus, we have people coming over.”

_That_ gets Karma up. “You didn’t-“

Gakushuu checks the time. “We have an hour or so,” He pauses. “Ah, but Koyama’s watch is always set fast so maybe 30 minutes at most.”

Gakushuu’s a liar; the doorbell rings out 12 minutes after they wake up. It’s Koyama and Seo.

Karma answers the door, still in his pyjamas. “Hello.”

“Happy birthday, bitch boy,” Seo taunts. “Where’s Asano?”

“Who’s Asano?”

“Karma, stop gaslighting my friends!”

Next to arrive is Nagisa, Kayano and Sugino. This _actually_ catches Karma off guard, and he can’t escape the hug he’s pulled into. “You guys…?”

Karma ushers the three in and Gakushuu’s smug look doesn’t go unnoticed.

“How did you organise this?”

Gakushuu taps his cheek. “With a little forethought, anything is possible,” He pauses before quietly admitting. “I’m also in a group chat.”

Karma rolls his eyes playfully. “I appreciate this, I really do but,” He spares a glance at the living room. “Oil and water don’t mix.”

Gakushuu smirks to himself. “Next year, pay more attention in Chemistry.”

When the door rings next, it’s Maehara, Nakamura, Isogai and Araki, who have apparently come as a four. Karma blinks. “This is a weird mix of people.”

Araki sighs to himself. “Tell me about it.”

Nakamura holds up her hands and points at Maehara and Isogai. “They were already here. I just saw them hanging around.”

Isogai shakes his head. “Don’t look at me,” He points at Maehara. “He was trying to see if he could enter through your bedroom window.”

Maehara pouts. “You’s are no fun.”

Sakakibara is last to arrive but before him, half of E Class drop by, just to pass on a gift and wish Karma a happy birthday.

“Sorry,” Sakakibara rubs his hands together. “A lot of the stores are shut,” He hands Karma an envelope. “Here.”

“Eh?” Karma flips the card over. “Thanks. You didn’t have to.”

Sakakibara raises an eyebrow. “Riiight. _Sure_.” And Karma doesn’t know exactly what he means but Sakakibara glides on into the house so there’s not really a chance to ask.

Karma can’t remember a time where his house was so busy, so full of people, so full of _life._ His worries concerning if everyone would get along okay but, as a quick Google search shows, oil and water _do_ mix, when an emulsifier is used.

Monster Truck is that emulsifier.

“Karma!” Nakamura exclaims excitedly as Nagisa bends down to pet her. “You have a dog!”

Without missing a beat, Gakushuu, from the other room, calls out. “She’s a ferret, actually.”

Araki looks around confused. “That’s clearly a…cat…right? I’m not mad, that’s a cat, isn’t it?” He turns to Karma, who shrugs in response.

Kayano grins, catching on fast. “Nah, she’s a snake.”

“Duh, it’s obviously a cow.” Sugino laughs.

Isogai nods. “A rather sickly-looking bird, if I do say so myself.”

Maehara groans into his hands. “What the fuck, you guys.”

Day 280 is New Year’s Eve, which is largely unimportant.

Day 281 is Gakushuu’s birthday, which is largely important. Sakakibara and Sugino fight to make the first ‘I haven’t seen you since last year joke’, Nagisa has exactly two sips of the champagne that Maehara brought and promptly passes out for the rest of the night, Kayano organises an arm-wrestling tourney and Gakushuu remembers it’s his birthday a few minutes after the year changes.

“Holy shit,” He turns to Karma. They’re both slightly buzzed. “I’m… _old._ ”

Karma has to hold back a laugh. “You’re sixteen.” He whispers.

“ _I’m old!_ ”

Day 311. There’s a sound from downstairs. Since Monster Truck is curled up next to Gakushuu, it’s not her.

Gakushuu wakes up Karma and hisses out something about how there’s an intruder downstairs.

Karma _wishes_ it were intruders. But unfortunately, that’s not the case. “Oh.” He says, posture relaxing when he sees just who it is.

Gakushuu’s head snaps to look at him. “What do you mean ‘oh’?” He whispers, squinting at the other. “Do you know them?”

His father straightens up, spotting them on the stairs. “Kichirou.”

Karma can’t help but wince, his head slowly turning to face Gakushuu. “So, you know how I told you my parents are dead…”

The Akabane’s are not happy with the new arrangement of the house nor are they impressed with the sight of Gakushuu, all limbs and his hair a mess.

“Who are you?”

“I’m-“

“My boyfriend,” Karma quickly answers for him. “He’s my boyfriend.”

His father blinks once, twice. “Huh.” Is all he says and that’s the end of that.

They leave that same day.

Day 365. Karma wakes up alone, which isn’t unusual. Most days Gakushuu gets up far earlier than him. He sleepily walks downstairs and notices there’s a bouquet of flowers on the kitchen table. They’re as red as his hair.

He twirls one in his hand. “Carnations,” He hums to himself. “What’s the occasion?”

Gakushuu sets down his mug of coffee and rolls his eyes. “Idiot,” He whispers pressing a chaste kiss to Karma’s cheek. “Happy one year.”

Karma laughs quietly and pulls Gakushuu into a proper kiss. “Happy one year indeed.”

**Author's Note:**

> [tumblr](https://wasp-factor.tumblr.com/) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/waspfactor) :))
> 
> *cries* karushuu found family is something that can be very personal to you.
> 
> im back at uni soon n i also have viscosity and attachment theory to finish so i'll probs be a little more infrequent on posting hehe or maybe not.... who knows ! i certainly don't !


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